which places this truth in a very ftriking point of view. A Spanish cavalier, without any reasonable provocation, affaffinated a Moorish gentleman, and inftantly fled from juftice. He was vigorously purfued; but availing himself of a fudden turn in the road, he leaped, unperceived, over a garden wall. The proprietor, who was also a Moor, happened to be, at that time, walking in the garden; and the Spaniard fell upon his knees before him, acquainted him with his cafe, and in the most pathetic manner implored concealment. The Moor liftened to him. with compaffion, and generously promised his affiftance. He then locked him in a fummer-house, and left him, with an affurance that, when night approached, he would provide for his escape. A few hours afterwards, the dead body of his fon was brought to him; and the description of the murderer exactly agreed with the appearance of the Spaniard, whom he had then in cuftody. He concealed the horror and fufpicion which he felt; and retiring to his chamber, remained there till midnight. Then going privately into the garden, he opened the door of the fummer-house, and thus accofted the cavalier: "Christian," said he, "the youth whom you have "murdered was my only fon. Your crime merits "the fevereft punishment. But I have folemnly " pledged my word for your fecurity; and I disdain "to violate even a rafh engagement with a cruel "enemy." He conducted the Spaniard to the ftables, and furnishing him with one of his fwifteft mules, "Fly,

B 3

"Fly," faid he, "whilft the darkness of the night "conceals you. Your hands are polluted with blood; "but GoD is juft; and I humbly thank him that my faith is unfpotted, and that I have refigned "judgment unto him."*

When Sophron had finished this narrative, I took the liberty of obferving that Faithfulness is a virtue, which we fometimes meet with in very abandoned characters, who are neither influenced by a sense of religious, nor of moral obligation. In fuch perfons it is founded on certain ideas of HONOUR, which originally fpring from the best natural principles. After the battle of Culloden, in the year 1745, a reward of thirty thousand pounds was offered to any one, who should discover or deliver up the young Pretender. He had taken refuge with the Kennedies, two common thieves; who protected him with fidelity; robbed for his fupport; and often went in disguise to Inverness, to buy provisions for him. A confiderable time afterwards, one of these men, who had refifted the temptation of thirty thousand pounds, was hanged for stealing a cow, of the value of thirty fhillings. †

But I apprehend, refumed Sophron, with much modefty, that there are cafes in which it would be more culpable to fulfil, than to violate a promife.

*See Hiftor. Mirror.

+ See Pennant's Tour in Scotland.

To

To this propofition Philocles gave his full affent, and illuftrated it by the following fuppofititious cafe. A brace of loaded piftols have been left in my hands by a friend, to whom I have engaged to restore them, whenever he fhall make the demand. But if he claim them when intoxicated with liquor, or mad with paffion and refentment, it is evident that the performance of my promife would not only be weak, but extremely reprehenfible: And my friend himself, in his calm and fober moments, would be amongst the firft to charge me with all the mischiefs, occafioned by my erroneous fenfe of duty. Hafty declarations and rash affeverations are fometimes made by good men, who cannot however reafonably or confcientioufly fulfil them. When Jefus had washed the feet of feveral of his difciples, he came to Simon Peter: "And Peter said unto him, Lord, doft thou wash my feet? Jefus answered and faid, What I do, thou knoweft not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. "Peter faid unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet! If I wash thee not, thou haft Simon Peter faid unto him, Lord,

66

Jefus answered him, "no part with me.

"not my feet only,

but also my hands and my head."

Nor can even vows, however folemn, be binding, when the object of them is the commiffion of an David, in revenge for an infult

atrocious crime.

offered him by Nabal, vowed that he would put to the fword every male of his family. But his wrath was afterwards appeafed; and he became fo fenfible of the injuftice of his defign, that he faid, "Bleffed be the LORD, who has kept his fervant from evil." *

It fhould feem, that the Roman emperor Trajan thought it might be criminal in his officers, under certain circumftances, to maintain the allegiance which they had fworn to him. On the appointment of Suberanus to be captain of the royal guard, he prefented him with a fword, as the badge of his fealty, faying, "Let this be drawn in my defence, "if I rule according to equity; but if otherwise, it may be employed against me." +

The conclufion concerning the obfervance of promifes, may be extended to Veracity, notwithstanding the extravagant declaration of one of the Fathers, "that he would not violate truth, though he were fure to gain heaven by it." Whenever, from the concurrence of extraordinary circumftances, the practice of one virtue is rendered incompatible with the performance of another, of much higher obligation, it is evident that the inferior muft yield to the fuperior duty. An example will elucidate, and evince the juftness of this observation.

* 1 Sam. xxv. 22.

† Plin.

After

After the horrid maffacre of the Huguenots in France, which began on St. Bartholomew's day, 1572, the king of Navarre was very rigorously guarded, by the order of the queen-mother, Catharine de Medicis. But one day, when he was hunting near Senlis, during the heat of the chace, he feized a favourable opportunity of making his escape; and galloping through the woods, with a few faithful friends, amongst whom was young Rofny, afterwards duke of Sully, he croffed the Seine at Poiffy, * and fled to the caftle of a nobleman, who was a zealous, though fecret proteftant, and ftrongly attached to his intereft. Troops of horfe were foon dispatched, different ways, in pursuit of him. One of these detachments stopped at the gates of the castle, where Henry was then refreshing himself; and the captain demanded permiffion to fearch for him, fhewing the royal mandate to bring the head of Henry, and to put his attendants to the fword. Refiftance was evidently vain; and compliance would have been a breach of hospitality, friendship, and humanity; at the fame time that it must have proved fatal to the interefts of the reformed religion, and to the whole body of proteftants in France, who had no other protector but the king of Navarre. The nobleman, therefore, without hesitation, and with an undaunted countenance, inftantly faid, "Waste not your time, "fir, in fruitless fearches. The king of Navarre,

*See Sully's Memoirs.

" with